Shards
by Michaly
Summary: Take 1 sarcastic Draco Malfoy. 1 young, bubbly Ginny Weasley. 1 envious, hot-tempered Ron Weasley. 1 wizard world full of prejudices, 1 cruel father: mix, put in a small copper cauldron on low flame - and meanwhile, sit and read my fic.
1. Platform Nine and ThreeQuarters

Draco sat in an ornamented chair in front of his desk. He was busy scribbling a stupid letter to his third cousin by marriage, Odelia Silver.

She lived in a far district near Scotland, and learned in her home. Her father, who was reach almost as Draco's father, financed for her privet studying together with her older brother Peter. Draco knew that his father designated her as Draco's future wife. He never met her, of course – but their parents forced them to write to each other.

He stopped, examining his grades' sheet. Now, here is a subject he would like to describe in his letter. Besides being a matter which was easy to discuss in without including a personal tone - they were another milestone in his way to success; a way he wanted to pass without his father's assistance.

Lucius renegade since last June, when he ran away from Azkaban. He hid with a few death-eaters in the dark basements of the estate – blocked and protected by horrible curses and traps, as the aurors wandered around in the lighten halls of his house, searching for clues to his location. As for Draco and Narcissa, He still was there. His presence was in everything, a threatening shadow that never fades, invading to the deepest and most secret cracks. His influence on the family atmosphere had never evaporated.

Knowing he would never admit it, Draco waited impetuously for his returning to his magical school, Hogwarts. He was sick of the dry, formal routine that Malfoy State gave him. The official outfits, the checkered emerald in the furniture. Lucius made sure that there would be no change in attitude, and life just kept going.

He knew Narcissa did love him. He also knew that she was committed to not show any feelings and treat him in a cold, metallic way. His father controlled her – she was a prestigious, delicate porcelain doll in his arms. Fragile, pretty, her blond hair always loosened on her shoulders. He missed the ancient castle, which always held more secrets in her and never was as yesterday. Even the frequent fights with Potter, Weasley and Granger would make a fresh change as opposed to the life in his house.

He wrote 28.8.97 on the top of the letter, signed his name and tied it to the gray owl's leg. Soon, he thought.

Soon.

Dressed in an elegant shirt and expensive trousers, Draco Malfoy stepped into the train in arrogance. He entered his favorite carriage, which was unoccupied – except for Crab and Goyle, who were in the middle of a fight about some Berti-Bots Every Flavor Bean's color.

Draco kindly let them put his suitcase in the carriage and went outside to the platform to say goodbye to his mother. His father didn't show up – after all, criminals who supported Voldemort and went underground didn't use to say goodbye to their sons on crowded platforms. After he found her, she whispered a few words, kissed him and apparated. He turned to go back to Crab and Goyle, and noticed that to his right stood all the Weasleys. He felt a wave of jealous engulf him when he saw Molly and Arthur speak to their children, and another one when he saw that even the brothers who already graduated were there. He got into the train again and went to the prefects' carriage – he wasn't supposed to be there now, but he preferred to avoid Crab and Goyle's stupid conversations. Pacing alone to the last carriage, where the loneliness allowed him to ponder peacefully, he sank in thoughts about the Weasleys. And Potter. He despised potter. Potter - the good, brave hero that everyone loved. Who always helped others. Who sent Draco's father to prison. He almost didn't dare to admit it to himself, but despite the humiliation - he never supported his father's attitude, or Voldemort's. But he knew that there was no point resisting them – he was helpless.

Everyone hated him, except for the Slytherins; but he hated them, too. They were simply a bitter reminder to his father. He never had friends. Crab and Goyle were like a security trolls – stupid, ugly, strong, intimidating and with a couple of really stinking legs. They were his bodyguards. Pansy, he knew, had a crush on him since their second year in Hogwarts. But she was mean, selfish and greedy and had no good features, to put it mildly.

He was lonesome in Hogwarts – always had been.

He opened the door to the prefects' carriage and was surprised to find out that it wasn't empty; there was a girl in it.


	2. Pansy

Draco stood there, astounded. He immediately knew that she was a new prefect: The prefect badge was shiny and clean, and well grabbed in her small hand. She was 14 or 15 years old and looked hastened. Additionally, he didn't see her last year. But that wasn't what draw his attention. She was gorgeous.

She was tall and thin – not too much, though. Her red hair was pulled up with a ribbon and her beautiful locks fell softly on her shoulders. Her eyes were almond-shaped and gleaming and her long lashes gave them a delicate look. The sight of her hair immediately reminded him of Weasley; but than he remembered that he saw the whole family on the platform. Besides, he remembered how she looked like last year and it was nothing like **this. **Still, she was kind of familiar. He made an effort, but just couldn't seem to remember. Probably some student from another house, he guessed.

As for her, she took her eyes of him the moment he entered the carriage and blushed. She, of course, knew him – **Malfoy.** She never liked him, oh no. She hated him. Why was he staring at her like this? But she was spared from having to talk, when Hermione Granger and the Head Girl came in to carriage. Slowly the rest of the prefects showed up. The Head Boy and Girl explained a little about the rules and about the job and then sent the older prefects to wander around in the train. Draco went outside and muttered in a disappointed tone. He hoped that the Head Boy and Girl will introduce the new prefects - he wanted to find out who was this girl. Assuming he will be able to track her down at the start-of-term feast, he abandoned his mission and entered his carriage.

Inside, he found Pansy Parkinson sitting with a sour look in front of Crab and Goyle. Draco figured she was disappointed because of his disappearance.

"Pansy", he threw at her nonchalant and smiled his most captivating smile, ignoring Crab and Goyle conspicuously, to her delight. Pansy's un-natural quadrangular face was covered in make-up – because of him, surely. He didn't think that it was flattering for her. Especially not the dark lipstick she used; it highlighted her lips and created a bizarre illusion, as if she drank poison. Pansy blushed, giggled, and gestured to the available sit next to her.

"Hi, Draco. Have a sit" she said and threw her hair back.

Granting her a supreme pleasure, he did.

She gave him a meaningful look and passed him an antique-pink colored note. Draco put on his face a serious expression and took the note.

He spent the rest of the ride chattering with some seven-year Slytherins and scaring some random first-year students who walked down the hallways.

The train stopped in Hogsmeade Platform, standing under the starry sky.

"New students! New students here please" called Hagrid.

Sending him a look full of contempt, Draco climbed into one of the carriages with some other popular Slytherins. A weird serenity took over him, some kind of pleasant boredom. He took his head out of the window and tried to find the castle's winged boars as his shoulders shivered in the coldness of the night.

He didn't notice to the pair of eyes who stared at him, out of the shadows.


End file.
